The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-11-17


took with a fresh inspiration. LET
me go, monsieur" she said. quickly.
Come with me. know q way. Take
my hand-so"
He ebeyed her, and hand in hand
they fed together down through trap
under the stage, and into long, mar
row passage, which terminated in an
exit into the Rue Marivaux.
This is for the administration"
she explained. 81 was on my way
here from the property-room when :
tainted. If you had not come, mon
sieur, should have been left behind"
He pressed her hand warmly as they
hurried on.
.sOpen the door," she said.
And Wyndham sprang forward to
obey her, but fell back with a groan.
at is lockedp he cried, wrenching
the knob futilely. There is no key"
Marguerite's little hands were quick
" dashed against the panels of the
door. Wyndham vain1y strove to
hammer them in with his boots, or st
tract attention from without. But the
awful din around the building pre-
vented them from being heard.
The firemen had arrived, and their
shouts mingled with the shrieks of the
crowd assembled. The struggling
opera house drowned all minor noises.
1--WE are trappedr' Wyndham said.
in agony. I'VE cannot get back now,
my poor little Marguerite!'
With a low sob, her head sank on his
shoulder.
''As Heaven wills it" she whispered.
al am not afraid here"
Wyndham's arms were around her;
his face close to hers.
''Do you love me?" he asked, sol
EMMY.
Truly, monsieur" she replied. her
arms ciinging close about his neck.
Then why did you go awayP" he
asked. why did you not let me know
where to find your"
81 was poor" she said. al had to
earn my living. And how could =
young girl have stayed on there with
out-without- You know ! could
notr'
'.But meant to ask you to marry
me" he said, quickly.
Yes" she answered; ''but Mon
sieur Mangam, your uncle, said that
could not be; that it was not right for
you to marry me, because you would
lose everything by that"
Wyndham shut his teeth hard.
Tell me, Marguerite" ne said.
y
rich man. My uncle is dead. Would
you be my wife nowP"
eff only could" she sighed. II
have always loved you"
A new light broke over his face.
"Oh," he cried, ''to think that we
must die nowi Just when I have
found you, my darling. Oh. it is hard
to die!"
clark" she cried. s'there is some
one!'
There were hurried steps on the
pavement. Some one shouted without,
and the two voices within sent forth
an answering shout
Then came some swift, laundering
blows against the lock. It burst open;
the door was flung back, and they
were free.
Wyndham staggered out with Mar
guerite in his arms.
''Look up, my pearl" he whispered.
But the head had sunk, insensible,
on his breast, and she knew nothing.
Some one caught Wyndham's arm.
''Lester" cried Paul Toy. "Good
heavens! is it your"
at is T." he answered, fervently.
land this is the girl you asked me
about this evening. Get a carriage,
Paul"
''Ine young IadyF
"Goes with us. Do not be surprised.
She will be my wife tomorrow"
Paul Toy asked no questions. His
thoughts were taken up with the
blessedness of having saved his friend
from horrible death.
he had come to the theater as by his
appointment. and found it in flames.
He knew it was useless to search for
Wyndham in the awful confusion Of
that scene; but by chance he saw that
the door into the Rue Marivaux was
not open. He had often gone into the
Opera Comique by that door with
members of the administration. Per-
haps it might serve as an exit to 1ome
who were Imprisoned in that burning
building.
Half dozen men rushed to open it
at his suggestion, and then-Lester
Wyndham had staggered out.
The full extent of that awful horror
was not known TO these three till the
next day, when the work of bringing
the dead from the ruins was sadly be-
gun.
Over that let us draw a veil. The
story has been told, with all its horri-
BILE details, by journals in all countries.
But amid all the dreadful misery
that night entailed, it is pleasant to
think that the burning of the Opera
Comique brought with it the happi-
ness of at least two LOVING anuIa